Examines the impact of specific language delay (LD) on peer interaction in preschool children. Interaction between three groups of dyads (normals and normals; normals and LD children; and between LD children) were studied. Normal children were more likely to initiate interaction with non-responsive partners and to dominate the interaction.…

This brief paper summarizes research on effective instruction in writing for students with learning disabilities. It finds that three components stand out as methods that reliably and consistently lead to improved outcomes in teaching expressive writing to these students. These components are: (1) adhering to a basic framework of planning,…

Briefly described is an instructional activity, the "Short Story Booklet," designed to aid exceptional students in grades 7-12 to put their thoughts on paper. The students write stories using processes of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing and compile them into booklets. (DB)

Children who used chloride-deficient soy-based infant formulas (Neo-Mull-Soy and Cho-Free) have been found to exhibit expressive language disorders. Medical studies of such children are reviewed, and a case study compares the language development deficits of an eight-year-old boy who used the formula with that of his fraternal twin who did not.…

Three case studies are reported, illustrating use of Structured Role Play Therapy in teaching moderately language-delayed children, aged 4-6, to produce specifically targeted grammatical forms and to generalize production to sentences not included in therapy activities. The role-playing resulted in rapid increases in production accuracy of…

The relationship between children's early experience with otitis media with effusion, hearing over time, and emerging receptive and expressive language skills was assessed. Better language was found to be associated with better average hearing levels, suggesting that the relationship between otitis media with effusion and language is mediated by…

This paper deals with the specific problems of the adolescent and adult hearing-impaired individual who wishes to improve and develop his or her expressive speech ability. Considered are issues critical to the learning process, intervention strategies for improving speech production, and speech production as one part of communication competency.…

Voice programing for preschool children with communication disabilities is discussed, including suggestions for enriching the child's auditory environment, selecting target goals, and providing consistency of target presentations by caregivers. Sample vocal awareness and production goals and strategies are offered. (Author/DB)

A portrait is presented of the toddler with slow expressive language development (SELD), based on research examining the health history; cognitive, communicative, and adaptive skills; behavior; and phonology of 30 toddlers with SELD and 30 nondisabled toddlers. The paper offers a review of research on the outcomes of SELD, and explores…

This article presents a five-step sequence for teaching children with disabilities to read pictures. Steps are sequenced for content and complexity of picture, student response requirement, and language demands. They include: (1) identify person, (2) identify object, (3) identify person and object, (4) identify action, and (5) identify sequence.…

Children with language delays often manifest low rates of self-initiated expressive language, particularly in school settings. Children with mild to moderate language delays appear to develop this pattern as a means of coping with situations in which they believe they are unable to perform or may perform poorly. Interactive language training…

Sensory metaphors--based on visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, or gustatory sensation--are pervasive in everyday communication. Teachers can improve communication with students by learning to recognize sensory metaphors, matching their own sensory language with that of their students, maximizing sensory channels, and teaching sensation and…

Stresses the importance for language learning of ordinary and familiar situations that bring about dialog between teacher and children. Emphasizes an environment for language learning that is stimulating for the children and that enriches and enhances the linguistic skills they already possess while increasing their expressive skills. (FL)

This paper presents a model for teaching written language to hearing-impaired students, emphasizing a high degree of student involvement with planning, revising, and rewriting as well as transcribing. Recommendations are made regarding direct instruction in necessary writing skills, including fluency, syntax, vocabulary, content, and conventions.…

Two experiments investigated the effects of peer modeling on the acquisition of receptive and expressive language responses. Experiment 1 studied lexical learning among five children who were mildly/moderately developmentally disabled. Experiment 2 investigated the observational learning of receptive and expressive language responses by two…